1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet printhead, and more particularly, to a bubble-jet type ink-jet printhead. In particular, this invention pertains to novel ink jet heater shapes used in novel ink jet printhead structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ink ejection mechanisms of an ink-jet printer are largely categorized into two types: an electro-thermal transducer type (bubble-jet type) in which a heat source is employed to form a bubble in ink causing ink droplets to be ejected, and an electromechanical transducer type in which a piezoelectric crystal bends to change the volume of ink causing ink droplets to be expelled.
An ideal ink-jet print head is 1) easy to manufacture, 2) produces high quality color images, 3) is void of crosstalk and backflow between nozzles, and 4) is capable of high speed printing. Efforts to achieve these goals are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,339,762; 4,882,595; 5,760,804; 4,847,630; 5,850,241; and 6,019,457, European Patent No. 317,171, and Fan-Gang Tseng, Chang-Jin Kim, and Chih-Ming Ho, “A Novel Microinjector with Virtual Chamber Neck”, IEEE MEMS '98, pp. 57-62. However, ink-jet printheads proposed in the above patents or literature may only satisfy some of the aforementioned requirements but do not completely provide an improved ink-jet printing approach.